From Eli Manning to Y.A. Tittle, take a look at players who made an impact after being traded to the Big Apple.
In 1961, the Giants traded for future Hall-of-Fame quarterback Y.A. Tittle from the San Francisco 49ers.
In 1967, the Giants once again traded for a future Hall-of-Fame quarterback in Fran Tarkenton from the Minnesota Vikings. With the Giants, Tarkenton was named to three of his nine career Pro Bowls as well as two All-Pro selections.
The Giants acquired running back Rob Carpenter in 1981 from the Houston Oilers in the middle of his 10-year career.
A two-time Pro Bowler and the St. Louis Cardinals' all-time leading rusher, running back Ottis Anderson was traded to New York in the middle of the 1986 season. Three months later, Anderson helped the Giants to a victory in Super Bowl XXI.
In May of 2007, placekicker Lawrence Tynes was traded to the Giants from Kansas City and has now hit a pair of game-winning field goals in NFC Championship games en route to winning two Super Bowls.
Selected first overall by the San Diego Chargers in the 2004 NFL Draft, Eli Manning was later traded to the Giants for Phillip Rivers and draft picks. Manning is now a two-time Super Bowl MVP.
On Oct. 4, 2013, the Giants acquired former Carolina Panthers All-Pro middle linebacker Jon Beason for a 2014 late-round draft choice. It was the Giants' first in-season trade since Oct. 8, 1986, when they acquired running back Ottis Anderson from the St. Louis Cardinals for second and seventh round picks.
Michael:
Why are there not more big name trades in the NFL?
|
|||||||||||||||||||
Harold
Dear Harold:
I think two primary reasons exist for the dearth of significant trades in the NFL (though trades are being made with more frequency, as we saw Monday with Vernon Davis). First, it's relatively difficult to acquire a player in the middle of the season and immediately plug him into the lineup as a fulltime player. A baseball player can step into a lineup and play third base – if he can field and hit, he can help.
In most instances, the same is true for basketball and hockey players. If they can play, they can help.
But football players must learn comparatively complex offensive and defensive systems. A running back who excels in one offense might not fare as well in another system (DeMarco Murray comes to mind, though he does seem to be hitting his stride in Philadelphia). A defensive end in a 4-3 defense might be lost if he's dealt to a 3-4 team. In football, the right fit is very important. The other reason is salary cap considerations. Teams are always mindful of their cap space, and many are reluctant to take on a significant salary at midseason.
Michael:
I am concerned about the health and consistency of the defensive backfield. We have lost key players, and it seems to be very evident by the amount of points Drew Brees put up on Sunday. What can the Giants do to shore up their secondary?
Brandon
Dear Brandon:
The secondary will get a boost when Prince Amukamara returns, hopefully this week at Tampa Bay. But what will most help the back of the defense is improvement up front. Brees picked apart the secondary because he had all day to throw. The Giants never sacked and seldom pressured him. They have just nine sacks all season. Even the very secondaries are going to struggle him without help from their front seven. Simply put, the Giants need a better pass rush.
